Cbankcase venthation system



Oct 24., 1944.

D. e. Roos CRANKCASE VENTILATION SYSTEM Filed Dec. 24, 1942 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Q I INVENTOR. gQM mm z? @9614 @w,0 W

A TTORNEY S. V

Patented Oct. 24, 1944 7 2,361,061

CBANKCASE VENTILATION SYSTEM Delmar G. Roos, Toledo, Ohio, assignor toWlllys- Overland Motors, Inc" Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of DelawareApplication December 24, 1942, Serial No. 470,108 3' Claims. (Cl. 123-l*71) This invention relates to means for removing vapors and gasesfrom the crankcase of an internal combustion engine. It is new customaryin the manufacture of such engines to provide crankcase breathers topermit the escape of vapors. and other products of combustion which passthe piston rings and enter the crankcase. However,

tamination by dilution as well as by sludge formation due to oxidationis materially reduced. The dilution of the oil by water vapor whichcollects von the cold walls of the crankcase and other parts of theengine when standing idle is undes'rable, as even a small percentage ofsuch dilution materially lowers the lubricating qualities of the oil andundue wear of the cylinder walls and the moving parts of the engine arelikely to means for circulating air through the crankcase of an internalcombustion engine whichmay be adapted to existing engine types withoutrequiring' material alterations in the structure of the engine.

A further object of the invention, is to provide ventilating means of'the above character which will carry away objectionable vapors andgases through the oil filler tube and discharge same at a point remotefrom such tube.

Still another object of the invention is to pro-- vide a suitable airfilter which may be attached to the engine so that dust particles andother contaminants may beremoved before the air enters the crankcase.

Further objects and advantages are within the scope of this inventionsuch as relates to the arrangement, operation and functioning of therelated elements of the structure, to various details of constructionand to combination of parts, elements per se, and to economics ofmanufacture and numerous other features as will be apparent from aconsideration of the specification and the engine from the aircleaner.

drawings of a form of the invention, which may be preferred, in which-Figure l is a fragmentary top plan view of a conventional internalcombustion engine and its cooling radiator embodying my invention; Fig.2 isa'side elevational view of the structure shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 isaview, partly in section, taken substantially on the line 33 of Fig. 1,and Fig; 4

is a top plan view of a portion of the engine and radiator whichillustrates a modified form of the invention.

Referr'ng to the drawings in detail, I have illustrated a conventionalinternal combustion engine comprisng a crankcase ill, one or morecylinders H andan oil pan i 2.- The crankcase encloses and supports thecrankshaft l3 and connecting rods It. A portion of the upper wall of thecrankcase is provided with a valve push rod chamber l5 which is closedby means of the usual removable cover plate it. The chamber has apassageway l l communicating with the lower part of the crankcase andthe oil pan H. An opening I8 is provided in the cover plate which maybeopen to the atmosphere or may be connected directly with an air cleaneror filter I9; The filter maybe of any convenient construction, and perse forms no part of the present invention. In supplying air to the aircleaner, an arrangement is made whereby the air may be taken from theatmosphere and contaminants coming in with the air are separated fromthe air and collected in a trap within the cleaner.

As'the oil in the crankcase is consumed due to wear and loss by leakage,the oil supply is replenished through the usual upright filler tube 20,which is positioned on the opposite side of The tube is adapted toreceive an oil level measuring rod 2| having a cap or cover 22 securedto the rod and adapted to fit snuglyover the upper end of the tube 20.Below the cap' 22 the oil flller tube is provided with an air outletpipe 23 leading toward a water cooling radiator 24. The radiator has alower and upper end connected with the water jacket of the engine bymeans of tubes 25 and 26 so that the water will circulate through theradiator in the usual manner. The upper end of the radiator is providedwith a filling neck 21 through which water is introduced into theradiator when necessary, and closed by means of cap shroud 30 issoldered or otherwise secured to the radiator and has an opening towardthe fan 29. At the top of the shroud, positioned between the tan and theradiator, an air outlet pipe 3| is provided which is secured to theshroud and which is in communication with the space therein. A flexibleconduit 32 is secured to the air outlet pipes by means of clamps 33. Byusing a flexible conduit 32, breakage of the same is avoided when theradiator and the engine move relative to each crankcase and the oil panwhere it becomes mixed with the crankcase vapors. The vapors arecontinuously withdrawn from the crankcase through the oil filler tube 20and the conduit 32. The vapors are thus removed and cannot act tocontaminate or dilute the lubricating oil.- It will be noted that toprovide thorough ventilation the oil filler tube is positioned on theopposite side of the engine from the air cleaner, so that the air entersthe crankcase on one side of the engine and is discharged on the otherIt wili also be noted that the filler tube 20 not only serves as aconduit through which lubricating oil is introduced into the crankcase,but also serves as an outlet for the gases and vapors in the crankcase.

Figure 4 illustrates a modified form of the invention which is similarto the above described form with the exception that a suitable oilfilter- As the air enters the crankcase through.

created by the engine fan the vapors are withdrawn from the crankcasethrough the filter 34 whereby entrained liquid particles are separatedfrom the air. In some instances wherein the liquid is of suflicientpurity it may lib permitted to drain back into the crankcase, otherwiseit will be discarded.

I wish it understood that my invention is not limited to any specificconstruction, arrangement or form of the parts, as it is capableot'numerous modifications and changes without departing from the spiritof the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by United States Letters Patent, is:

1. That improvement in means for ventilating an internal combustionengine including a crankcase having inlet and outlet-ventilatingopenings, a fan driven by the engine and a radiator in advance of thefan, which comprises a shroud intermediate the radiator and fan, anopening in the wall of said shroud and a tubular connection leading fromsaid opening and adapted be connected to said outlet.

2. That improvement in means for ventilating an internal combustionengine including a crankcase having inlet and outlet ventilatingopenings, a fan driven by the engine and a radiator in advance of thefan which comprises a shroud at the rear side of the radiator and inadvance of the fan, an opening in the wall of said shroud and a tubularconnection leading from said opening and adapted to be connected to saidoutlet.

3. That improvement in means for ventilating an internal combustionengine including a crankcase having inlet and outlet ventilatingopenings, a fan driven by the engine and a radiator in advance of thefan which comprises a shroud intermediate the radiator and the fan andhaving a diameter substantially the same as that of the fan, an openingin the wall of said shroud and a tubular connection leading from saidopening and adapted to be connected to said outlet.

DELMAR G. noos.

